


The Newsie and the Four Boroughs

by Moon_Wing



Category: Blood Drips on Newsies Square (1991), Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Genre: AU based on the Nutcracker and The Four Realms, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - The Nutcracker Fusion, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Presents, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Other, Pre-Roaring 20's, Warning:, crackish writing abounds, post-WW1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21834415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Wing/pseuds/Moon_Wing
Summary: It's Christmas Eve! A time of mystery, expectations, and excitement!Unfortunately, Luke Kelly just doesn't feel like celebrating it. Not when his father Jack won't be around with them anymore. However, the night takes a magical turn when Luke receives one final present from his late father which propels him into a journey through a mysterious parallel world where it appears he might be the heir of.(Newsies AU based on the Nutcracker and the Four Realms)
Relationships: Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Racetrack Higgins & Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon & Racetrack Higgins
Kudos: 4





	The Newsie and the Four Boroughs

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: possible crack.  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the Kelly Household, Luke Kelly and his sister Luna receive presents from their late father on Christmas Eve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: crack writing abounds. If not now, then somewhere down the line.

**New York City**  
 **December 24, 1919**  
  
  
Tonight was the night.  
Christmas Eve had finally come to the land of opportunity.

Thick, white layers of glistening snow coated every inch of the bustling city.  
All around, the joy and festivity of the holiday could be found everywhere, It was contagious!  
Many could be found enjoying the nice evening out with their family. Some went to or hosted grand parties and fancy balls to celebrate the occasion. Some were even searching last-minute for the gifts to put under the tree. Even the ones who were still working during that day like the newsboys crying the headlines had smiles of joy plastered on their faces. Some were even participating in a few snowball fights themselves.

Whatever way it was being celebrated, there was without a doubt no shortage of fun that could be done on that special night.

Yet somewhere high above the busy streets of New York City, in one of the simple yet comfy tenement homes, a little boy with dark wavy hair gazed miserably at the commotion occurring just outside the window of his bedroom wall.

Despite all the cheer and merriment that he could see happening outside, the little boy could not bring himself to get in on the Christmas spirit. It just wasn't the same anymore without his father around.

So instead of being excited or cheerful, he simply sat in his bed in silence, doodling in whatever scraps and papers he could find. 

“Luke!” he thought he heard his mother call faintly.

“Luke, why don’t you help me set up the tree?”  
  
Luke ignored the call, continuing on with his sketching.

"Luke, Luke" his mother continued to call "Hurry up and come downstairs. I have other things to get too. Please don't make me do this myself"  
  
Luke stopped what he was doing for a minute and sighed, he knew that tone all too well. Fine, he didn't want to disappoint his mother. He hastily stored the papers and pencil and put on a false grin to mask his disinterest, something his father had taught him to do long ago, before heading downstairs and straight towards the living room.  
  
Upon his arrival, he was a little shocked by the sight of his mother Katherine, arms crossed and with a stern expression on her face.

“Well young man, you may not realize this but you’re late. I've already finished" she gestured to the tree, already put up and filled with ornaments. No offense, it was fine honestly, but that was just it. It was fine. Not "special" the way father did it. Just "fine", and it just made Luke think about how hollow their Christmas was going to be without him.

“Sorry mama” Luke awkwardly tried to excuse himself “I just got overwhelmed by all the… other decorations”

There’d be more of them if father were here, he thought. But he didn’t dare say it out loud.   
  
“Oh Luke, Luke” Katherine shook her “I know it’s almost Christmastime and you must be really excited”

Luke accidentally blurt a soft scoff at the comment. Lucky for him, his mother didn't notice.  
  
“But you really shouldn’t dawdle!” she continued “Mom's a very busy person. This season is one of the only times we ever get to do anything together, as a family! and look you already missed the chance to set up the Christmas tree with me!”

briefly his mother gave a sigh “Well, seeing as you’ve missed decorating the tree, why don’t you go off and make yourself useful some other way like calling your sister downstairs”  
  
Fine, easy enough, Luke thought in his head. Hurriedly he went back upstairs and knocked on his sister's bedroom door.   
  
"Hey Luna. Mom's calling you"  
  
"Fine, give me a minute. I'll be right down"

It took a moment before his sister finally opened the door and the two joined hands to go downstairs into the living room.   
As soon as they arrived, their mother wasted no time explaining to them what they were going to do next.  
  
"Nice, now that you two are down here, we can go on straight to the presents"

“Presents?! But don’t we only get them till Christmas day?” Luke asked. It was then that Katherine’s expression darkened. The look on her face into one of dismay.   
  
“Look, they were from your father. One of the last things he told me was to give them to you on Christmas eve in case he” Katherine closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she could utter out the rest of the sentence. “In case he couldn’t be able to come home” she managed to speak, though voice so soft it could barely be heard. For a moment, they all stood there in silence, the entire tenement was as quiet as the cemetery.

Quickly, Katherine snapped back into reality "Right, for you Luna"

Katherine offered her a large wrapped box  
"and for you Luke" she gave him a small box.

Suddenly, for the first time in months a rush of excitement overwhelmed Luke. He hurriedly went to open his present to see just what was inside.

"Look mama!" he could hear his sister exclaim "It's father's notebook! Oh this is absolutely wonderful"

"Well that's splendid!" his mother commented.  
  
"Yes, I could write down my stories here" Luna smiled.

"So what did you get Luke?" Katherine then turned towards her son, Luna following her "Yeah, what did father get you? Art materials?"  
  
"No" Luke answered and began to hold up his present for the rest of his family to see. It was a beautiful silver egg elegantly decorated with a rosebush design on one side and and a finch design on the other, carved into it.

"It's an egg of some sort" Luna declared, stating the obvious.  
  
"What the?" Katherine voiced out her disbelief and confusion "How did your father even manage to get something like that?"  
  
"Maybe he made it?" Luna hypothesized.  
  
"I don't know. I've never in my life known him to be someone making things like this"

"Oh look" Luke began to notice something in the light as he continued to hold it up "There's a keyhole in there!"   
  
"But where's the key?" his mother asked as she took the black box that contained the egg and checked "Huh it's not here? There is this though"  
  
She gave Luke a small folded piece of paper, it was a letter! From his father. Maybe this was it, this was the answer he'd been waiting for. How on earth he was going to carry on without his father around to guide him any longer.  
  
Luke opened the paper and began to read its contents

_Dearest Luke_   
  
_If you receive this then it pains me to say that I couldn't make it back. I'm so sorry. But don't worry. Everything you need is inside,_   
  
_\- your father, J.K._

"Everything you need is inside" Luke murmured quietly to himself. This had to be it then, the answer, it was definitely in the egg.  
  
"Mother, have you tried checking it again?" Luke questioned his mother.  
  
Katherine searched the box again, this time at a much slower place than before. Her hand reaching into the box.  
  
"Nope, nothing else seems to be here. I'm sorry"  
  
"Um you know what let me do it instead"  
  
Luke took the box back from his mother and began to search it himself, sticking his hand and feeling into the box, then jiggling, and pouring out the contents from inside. But there was nothing else, absolutely nothing.  
  
"I don't understand" Luke cried out "why would dad give me a locked egg without a key?!"  
  
"Well maybe it's just a silly egg that doesn't open" Luna commented.  
  
Luke didn't mean to, but hearing that comment suddenly made him snap "IT'S MORE THAN JUST A SILLY EGG!" he roared. When he realized what he'd done, he quickly placed the egg and letter back into the black box and stormed off, leaving his family inside the living room in total shock. He headed straight to his bedroom, where he could contemplate in peace his father's gift and the message he'd left.   
  
As he placed his gifts on his desk and gazed at them. His eyes were mesmerized by these objects.

This had to be it, the egg had to have the answer. Surely, his father would know to leave his son an answer in case he ever did pass away. He'd know he would want, no, need an answer. Father always knew him better than anyone and he sure did know to prepare something past his death for him. This had to be it.  
  
It had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the best I could come up with at the moment. Chapter is open for rewriting and may be subject to change.


End file.
